Best Outdoor Projector and Movie Screen 2019

Hey, welcome to my blog. I’m Steve and my wife and I run a business in Southern California installing outdoor movie theaters for homes and large events. To date we have installed over 500+ theaters and we have tried literally every brand out there (including some awful products).

We made this site as a resource for anyone looking to build themselves an outdoor theater. In this guide we will look at the top brands and I’ll share with you some of my personal recommendations and get into some of the technical details.

But for you that just want a quick recommendation.

I recommend the Camp Chef outdoor screen at 92 inches, you just can’t beat this product in terms of size, screen quality and ease of cleaning (important factor).

It’s reasonably priced and rolls up super easily for storage in the winter. This is our most commonly installed unit with almost 100% customer satisfaction.

For a higher end screen I’d go with the Elite Screen Sable Frame. Incredibly quality that is 4k ready, with a fixed frame. This unit isn’t portable but better for someone who is looking to have an extremely high quality projector screen for outdoor viewing or gaming.

For more detailed info, let’s jump into the review! Please email me if you have any technical installation questions, I’d be more than happy to help.

Overview

Why You’ll Love Them

Great Way to Trick Your Kids – Kids absolutely love watching movies or TV. Combine that with being outside and you have a great recipe for more appreciation for the outdoors.

Watching Movies Under the Stars Feels Great – Ya, ya, I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s totally true. Watching movies under the theater feels great.

You Can Setup a Theater for Under 500 – If budget is an issue, setting up a backyard home theater is actually really cheap. I’ll show you exactly how.

You Can Invite a Lot of People – Your living room might not be able to hold 20 kids, but your backyard probably can.

In this post I’ll teach you how to find the best outdoor screen possible. I’ve reviewed basically every brand out there and setup theaters for 10 people all the way up to 500 person theaters. I’m going to show you exactly which theater is best for families.

Check Out Our Guides

If you’re looking for a detailing guide on how to setup a backyard theater click here

There are a lot of choices out there when it comes to electronic goods and especially projectors. The choices can be overwhelming and instead of inundating you with 15 different choices I’m going to make only tell you what I’ve used.

This stuff works.

Here I listed my picks for best outdoor projector screen 2019. These can be set up virtually anywhere, indoors or outdoors and they’re really easy to install.

We’ll start with the best budget projector screen and cover some of the best portable projector screen too.

If you want a full disclaimer – I love the Camp Chef screen the best.

Product

Description

Users Score

Overall Score

Camp Chef – Portable Outdoor Projector Screen

This is screen is standard-sized, and it’s a budget choice for anyone who wants to watch movies in their back yards. ...

This is screen is standard-sized, and it’s a budget choice for anyone who wants to watch movies in their back yards. It’s an excellent screen, 92 inches in total, and it’s pretty easy to assemble.

The frame also comes with two guy lines, which are used similar to how you set up a tent; the ends are hammered into the ground with pegs to keep the frame steady.

That’s one thing that I love about this screen; even though it’s not the biggest screen on the block, it has a really sturdy frame and the ropes make it even sturdier. I did notice that people can easily trip over the ropes so make sure that the kids don’t venture around the screen or an accident might happen.

Then again, if the weather is calm, there’s really no need for these additional ropes. Think of the ropes as an additional layer of support.

The shipping weight is only 20 pounds and the dimensions are 11.5 inches x 36.5 inches x 4 inches. I personally liked this screen because it’s small and easy to set up and it’s quite affordable too.

This is one of the options out there, ideal for indoor as well as outdoor viewings. The screen is attached to a solid light-weight metal frame that can be assembled in a matter of minutes.

I like this screen because it’s affordable, easy to setup, and can turn any area into a mini-theater.

The size is decent too, 144 inches with an aspect ratio of 16:9 which is perfect for widescreen movies. There’s also no need to worry about image loss as the material is made from high quality oxford nylon.

If you already have a projector and you’re just looking for a screen that you can use outdoors, this one is perfect. It’s the best price for the largest screen.

Just remember that it’s not the sturdiest model around, and it can easily fall over unless the frame is secured. If you don’t have a lot of cash to spend, I recommend this as our top pick for best value projector screen.

The frame is assembled first, and then you hook the movie screen to the frame with latches, and once completed, the screen should be perfectly smooth. Having an easy to setup frame is one of the aspects that makes us recommend the Camp Chef.

This is another awesome movie screen that is perfect for outdoor movies. It’s the same size as the previous model we mentioned, 144 inches. This screen is a little bit more expensive but there are different sizes to choose from so you can choose a smaller and cheaper model if you want.

The cool thing about this model is that it’s foldable, the frame and the legs are two separate parts. To install the screen, simply remove the frame, unfold it, and set it on the floor. Then unfold the legs and attach them to the metal frame with the included screws.

The entire process takes a few minutes at the most, and it’s a lot easier if someone helps assemble it with you. Each section of the frame automatically locks in place so there’s no need to worry about the screen collapsing!

This screen is slightly smaller than the previous screen, but its only 5 inches smaller, and you can choose from several different sizes. You can also choose between front and rear projection for better results.

With this screen, I really liked the aluminum light-weights parts, they make it incredibly easy to assemble the equipment and they’re extremely durable.

This screen is not entirely weather resistant or water resistant, so it’s not recommended to leave it outdoors for extended periods of time, always bring it in. I also don’t recommend washing it as it’s not completely waterproof and you risk damaging the screen.

The screen can be easily snapped to the frame for a completely flat and crease-free viewing experience.

There’s also an additional support system with ropes and pegs for the windier days, of course, this is only for back up use and not required for each use. Like the previous models, it can also be used indoors.

What I liked most about this model is the aesthetic appeal, it simply looks sleek and elegant, with an all-black frame and snow-white screen. The area of the screen that snaps onto the frame is also not visible, it just looks good. The shipping weight is only about 35 pounds and the dimensions are 122.9 x 36.7 x 93.3 inches.

It’s slightly more expensive, but I believe its the best value projector screen because it’s an extremely durable and it’s one of the better looking screens on the market.

This screen looks great and the frame is super easy to set up with its snap button frame. Like the previous model, the frame is made from light-weight aluminum, and the screen material is mildly weather resistant.

What I like about this model is the area of the screen that snaps to the frame is solid black and creates a kind of aesthetic black frame for your projector. I thought that was one neat feature.

Another feature worth mentioning is the one piece frame. Instead of having to attach multiple parts, this frame is one single piece, and the corners snap into place, making it really easy to install anywhere.

The frame also comes with a carrying bag and support lines, these lines are used for extra support during windy conditions or if you just can’t find a solid patch of ground for the frame. Like the previous models, these support lines can be hammered into the ground.

This model weighs about 35 pounds and you can choose from five different sizes: 100, 110, 120, 132, and 142 inch models.

The material is Cinema Matte White and it’s water-resistant, wash it as you please!

The 142 inch model can be bought in smaller models if you want to save cash. Read more about Visual Apex here.

Best Budget Choice

I believe this is the best screen that you can choose if you’re on a budget.

It’s relatively large, 92 inches, and the screen material is excellent. The frame is still much bigger than most people’s television screens, and you can put it outside or anywhere you choose.

If size is not a problem for you, then I highly recommend this best budget projector screen. It’s a little bit smaller than the other screens we mentioned, and the material is not the best, but honestly there’s not much a difference when it comes to image quality.

So if you just want a standard, decent outdoor screen, then I recommend this model.

It’s really cheap and durable but it’s not water and weather resistant. On the other hand, it does come with a standard 2 year warranty so you’re in the clear.

​Best High-End Choice

There are two things about this model that stand out to me: the size, and the appearance. The largest model is 135 inches which is a perfect for home cinema systems.

If that’s too large, or you want something cheaper, there are smaller models available too, simply select the size that you want on the order screen.

I like the look of this movie screen much more than the other models because of how the screen connects to the frame, it looks really nice. I think this would be the perfect choice for anyone who has some money set aside for a quality screen.

In my opinion, I think this is the best choice out of all of the models we mentioned, it’s the most professional one I have seen. The screen material and the aluminum are extremely durable and weather resistant.

Best Complete Outdoor Package

If you want to create the absolute best movie experience possible, and you don’t want to purchase individual pieces of equipment, this package is perfect for you.

This section is about the whole system, which includes; a movie screen, speakers, and a media playback device (such as a Blue Ray Player, etc.).

We all know how irritating it can be to watch a movie with poor sound quality, that’s why picking the right sound system is so important. You want to really be able to enjoy the movie and watch it as it was meant to be watched. That’s why this package includes a SAVI surround sound speakers with customizable stands.

This system is a bit expensive but it’s well worth the price because it’ll be with you forever and it’ll make watching movies a fun experience for everyone. And you’ll definitely have a lot more visitors when you setup one of these outdoor home theaters!

Large Screens for 15+ People

If you're looking for a screen that is a lot bigger than your average setup then check out some of the ones I found at Projector Screenstore, in particular the Alltec 220" is a massive screen that can be used for groups of 15+.

If you’re looking for the most complete backyard screen, this may be your top choice. This theater system is really cool because it eliminates all the pressure of having to find individual equipment.

Instead of pulling your hair out trying to decide which projector is the best or which speakers to use, this package makes the decision for you.

Included in the package:

​Optima Projector

SAVI Speakers with Tripod Stands

Remote Controlled Movie Screen

WIFI Blue Ray Player

Cables

The remote controlled movie screen is particularly interesting because it can automatically roll up with a simple click of a button and then you can take it off the frame and pack it or leave it.

This entertainment system makes it super easy to watch movies because there are no technical steps to take. Once the system is setup all you have to do is turn on your devices and hit the remote controller for the screen, that’s it.

It takes less than 10 seconds to start.

The WIFI Blue Ray Player is very useful as well; it’s possible to stream movies to this device from a wide range of other devices, such as an I-Pad, Smartphone, or computer.

For example, if you recently downloaded a movie on your computer, but you don’t want to drag the entire computer outside, simply stream it to the Blue Ray player and you can watch the movie outside. The movie can be streamed over your home’s Wi-Fi network.

If you don’t have a Wi-Fi network, then simply rent or purchase Blue Ray movies for the player!

If all that seemed like too much check out this comparison chart so you can have a better idea.

My name is Steve Scott. Father of 2 and owner of Outdoor Movie HQ. I’ve been involved in the A/V industry for most of my life and built this blog to help people better understand projector technology. Please leave a comment if you have any questions.

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ABOUT US

My name is Steve Scott. Father of 2 and owner of Outdoor Movie HQ. I’ve been involved in the A/V industry for most of my life and built this blog to help people better understand projector technology. Please leave a comment if you have any questions.

Our Recommended Outdoor Movie Screen – Camp Chef OS92L

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About Scott

I created this site as a two page website about how to watch movies outside with your kids. Three years later it has helped thousands build their own home theater in and outside the home.